Northwestern is aggressively pursuing offensive lineman this year, so it's no surprise that the first member of the Wildcats' Class of 2008 is a big man.

Wilmette (IL) Loyola Academy offensive lineman Brian Mulroe gave Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald his verbal commitment yesterday, saying that the fact that Northwestern was the first school to offer him a scholarship played a large role in his decision to commit early.

Northwestern is the only school to have extended Mulroe an offer, but he was also being recruited by Big Ten schools such as Illinois, Michigan State and Indiana. Mulroe took a trip to Champaign to visit Illinois last weekend, but he found that the trip just confirmed in his mind that Northwestern was the place for him.